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A HISTORY 



Coventry Brethren Church 



CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 



THE SECOND OLDEST BRETHREN CHURCH IN AMERICA 



BY 

ISAAC N. URNER, LL.D. 

LATE PRESIDENT OF MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE, CLINTON, MISSISSIPPI 



PHILADELPHIA 

PRINTED BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 

1898 



Copyright, 1898, 

BY 

Isaac N. Urner. 






^r 



INTRODUCTORY NOTE. 



Thinking that a sketch of the early history of the 
Coventry Brethren Church would be of interest to its 
members, and hoj)ing that it might tend to preserve 
the history of the second oldest Brethren church in 
America, and in the world, too, the following article, 
introductory to the " Genealogy of the Urner Family," 
is republished. 

Appended to it will also be found brief biographical 
references to the successive preachers of the church. 

Also a list of the members in 1890, when the third 
church building was erected. 

While the Germantown Church was organized ten 
months earlier than the Coventry Church, the latter, 
according to Abraham H. Cassel, is, in some respects, 
more properly the mother church of the Brethren de- 
nomination in America than the Germantown Church, 
as the Coventry Church in early times colonized fre- 
quently and largely, and in this way was the means 
of founding many of the early churches, while the 
Germantown Church, owing to its location in a town, 
colonized very little. 

We are told that no early records of the Coventry 
Church were kept. It seems so improbable that such a 
church would have no records, '^all the early preachers 
being men of talent and ability," that the more reason- 
able supposition is that the records have been lost. 
Even so intelligent a man as the late E-ev. Isaac Price 



4 INTRODUCTORY NOTE. 

(lid not know the time of its organization by some fifty 
years. In a letter, still extant, written in 1882, when, 
however, he w^as eighty years old, writing of his grand- 
father, George Price, having moved from Indian Creek, 
Montgomery County, to Nantmeal township, Chester 
County, before the Kevolutionary War, and of a Breth- 
ren interest that he, George Price, labored to build up 
in Kantmeal, he said that it was nearly as old as the 
Coventry Church. George Price moved to Nantmeal 
in the fall of 1773 or in the spring of 1774, the latter 
date most likely, and the Coventry Church was founded 
in 1724, fifty years earlier. 

But for Morgan Edwards's work,'-'' " Materials to- 
ward a History of the American BajDtists," published 
in Philadelphia in 1770, and the "Chronicon Ephra- 
tense," f published in Ephrata, Lancaster County, in 
1786, we should know almost nothing of the origin, 
organization, and early history of the church, except 
through vague and unreliable family traditions, and 
such additional light as might be furnished by patents 
and deeds for land, by walls and tax-lists, and by in- 
scriptions on tombstones. 

^ The work of Morgan Edwards, referred to above, has long 
been oat of print, and but few copies are extant. There is a 
copy of the work in the library of the Pennsylvania Historical 
Society, corner of Locust and Thirteenth Streets, Philadelphia. 

f A good English translation of the " Chronicon Ephratense" 
was made by J. Max Hark, D.D., in 1889, and published by S. 
H. Zahm & Co., Lancaster City, Pennsylvania, of whom copies 
can be obtained. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Introductory Note 3 

COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

Origin of the ISTame 7 

Origin of the Brethren in Europe 8 

Constituent Members of the First Church at Schwar- 

ZENAU 8 

Migration of the First Colony of Brethren to Penn- 
sylvania 8 

Organization of the Cermantown Church : the First 

Brethren Church in America 9 

JSTames of First Six Persons baptized in America . . 10 

Constituent Members of the Cermantown Church ... 10 
Organization of the Coventry Church : the Second 

Brethren Church in America . . 11 

Constituent Members of the Coventry Church .... 11 
Organization of the Conestoga Church : the Third 

Brethren Church in America 11 

Split in Conestoga Church, caused by Conrad Beissel . 12 
Migration of the Second Colony of Brethren to Amer- 
ica WITH Alexander Mack 12 

Martin Urner, Sr., Founder and First Bishop of Cov- 
entry Church 14 

Martin TJrner, Jr., Second Bishop of Coventry Church 15 

Building of First Meeting-House 15 

Anecdote of Second Bishop Martin Urner 16 

Jonas Urner 18 

Building of Second Meeting-House, with Letter of 

Abraham H. Cassel 18 

Sketch of Coventry Church, by Abraham H. Cassel . 19 

List of Members of Coventry Church in 1770 .... 21 

List of Preachers from 1724 to 1898 21 

Extracts from Morgan Edwards's " Materials toward 

A History of the American Baptists" , 23 

5 



b CONTENTS. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ITS PREACHERS FROM 
1724 TO 1898. 

PAGE 

The Three Urners 30 

Casper Ingles 31 

The Three Eeinharts 31 

The Three Prices 32 

The Two Harleys 34 

David Keim 35 

Peter Hoi.lowbush 36 

Jacob Conner 37 

Isaac Urner Brower 39 

Jesse P. Hetric 40 

John Y. Eisenberg 42 

AS TO THE :N'AME 43 

LIST OF MEMBERS IN 1890 47 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 



As the Urners were the founders of the Coventry 
Brethren Church, and its preachers and bishops for the 
first eighty-seven years of its existence, a sketch of its 
history seems the proper introduction to the genealogy 
of the Urner family. 

The Coventry Church took its name from the town- 
ship in which it is located, and the township is sup- 
posed to have received its name through Samuel Nutt, 
an early settler and iron-master, who came from Coven- 
try, in Warwickshire, in England. The township first 
took the name Coventry in the year 1724, the same 
year in which the Church was organized. Previously 
the district was known in the assessment lists, which 
contained the names of Jacob, Hans, and Martin Urner, 
as " Skoolkill District" in 1719, and as " Scoolkil" in 
1722. At its formation the township of Coventry com- 
prised not only the land along the Schuylkill River, 
now North Coventry, East Coventry, South Coventry, 
but all of the upper part of Chester County, and even 
a part of the present county of Lancaster.* 

The Brethren, as the members have always called 
themselves, have sometimes been called the First Day 
Baptists, to distinguish them from the Seventh Day 
Baptists; sometimes they have been called the German 

* See Futhey's " History of Chester County," page 172. 

7 



8 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

Baptists, to distinguish them from the Baptists ; and 
sometimes they are called Dunkers, and Tunkers, from 
an attempted transliteration of the German word mean- 
ing BajDtist. 

In the latter j^art of the seventeenth and the begin- 
ning of the eighteenth centuries vigorous attemj)ts were 
made by the Protestants of Germany and Holland to 
reform some of the errors of the Churches. These 
efforts produced violent opposition and j)ersecutions. 
They also resulted in heavy emigration of the common 
people and of many of the learned to America. Of 
those who did not immediately emigrate, many moved 
into districts whose rulers had themselves been awakened 
■and so granted to the refugees liberty to worship as they 
pleased. At Schwarzenau, in the Province of Witgen- 
stein, the first Brethren Church ever organized was 
started in 1708, with the following eight constituent 
members : Brethren George Grebe, of Hesse-Cassel ; 
Luke Vetter, of Hesse-Cassel ; Alexander Mack, of 
Schriesheim in the Palatinate ; Alexander Bony, of 
Basle, Switzerland ; John Kipping, of Bareit, Wirtem- 
burg ; and Sisters Johanna Noetinger Bony, Anne 
Margareta Mack, Johanna Kipping. 

By studying the Bible these people were led to be- 
liever's baptism and Congregational church govern- 
ment, and this in a place where Baptists had never been 
known. As they increased in numbers, persecutions 
followed. Some were driven into Holland, some to 
Creyfeld in the Duchy of Cleves ; and the Mother 
Church at Schwarzenau moved to Serustervin in Fries- 
land ; and in 1719 they emigrated in- a body to Penn- 
sylvania, and settled at Germantown ; a few scattering 
to Skippack, Falckner's Swamp, and Oley. This colony 
consisted of about twenty families. 



COYENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 9 

Though Yeiy zealous for the truth, they had bicker- 
ings and jealousies even during their sojourning in 
Europe, and while this first colony of Brethren was 
crossing the ocean, trouble broke out afresh among the 
members. So for several years after their arrival there 
were no religious efforts put forth by them. But in the 
fall of 1722 several of the Germantown Brethren, — 
Becker, Gommere, Gantz, and the Trauts, visited the 
scattered Brethren. In the fall of the following year 
there was an occurrence that finally bridged over their 
separation and brought them to organize themselves 
into a church. This event was the application of six 
'^persons on the Schuylkill" for baptism. These ^'per- 
sons on the Schuylkill" lived thirty-five miles up the 
river, and comprised Martin Urner and his wife and 
four neighbors. This organization of the Germantown 
Church and baptism of these first six converts took 
place on the 25th day of December, 1723. In the 
'^ Chronicon Ephratense," pages 22 and 23 of the 
translation by J. Max Hark, D.D., this happening is 
referred to in the following words : 

" In August of the year 1723 a rumor was spread 
through the country that Christ. Libe, a famous Baptist 
teacher who had long been in the galleys, had arrived 
in Philadelphia. This moved some newly awakened 
persons on the Schuylkill to go forth to meet him. The 
whole thing, however, was a fiction. These persons were 
persuaded by the Baptists [Brethren] to go with them 
to their meeting, during and after which they heard so 
much of the Germans' awakening that they went home 
very much edified. Soon after a second visit was made 
to Germantown, by which both j)arties were so much 
edified that the Germantown Baptists [Brethren] prom- 
ised them a visit in return, which they made four weeks 



10 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

afterwards with great blessing. The newly awakened 
ones were thereby stirred up still more, so that they 
begged to be received into their Communion by Holy 
Baptism. This was the occasion of im23ortant proceed- 
ings among the Brethren in Germantown, for they still 
had in mind the misunderstandings which had arisen 
between them and their Brethren at Creyfeld. Besides, 
they were, indeed, a branch of a congregation but yet 
not a congregation that dared to presume to administer 
the sacraments. The worst was that they were divided 
among themselves and had only lately commenced to 
draw nigh to one another again. After they had 
seriously pondered over all these things in the spirit, 
they finally agreed to consent to the request. Accord- 
ingly, after the candidates for baptism had chosen Peter 
Becker to be their baptizer, they were baptized in the 
stream Wiskohikung [Wissahickon] , near German- 
town, on December 25, of the year 1723. And as these 
were the firstlings of all baptized among the high Ger- 
mans in America, their names shall be here recorded 
and given to posterity, — namely, Martin Urner and 
his female house-mate, Henry Landis and his house- 
mate, Frederick Lang, and Jan Mayle. The evening 
following they held the first love-feast ever cele- 
brated in America at John Gommere's, which created 
a great stir among the people of that neighborhood ; 
Peter Becker, mentioned before, ministering at the 
same. 

"Through such a Divine happening the Baptists 
[Brethren] in Pennsylvania became a congregation." 

At the organization of the German town Church, in 
addition to the six who had just been baptized, were 
the following seventeen members : Peter Becker, Henry 
Traut, Jeremiah Traut, Balser Traut, Henry Holzapfel, 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH, 11 

John Gommere, Stephen Koch, Jacob Koch, John 
Hiklebrand, Daniel Ritter, George Balser Gansz, John 
Preisz, John Kaenipfer, — thirteen brethren ; and Mag- 
dalena Traut, Anna Gommere, Maria Hildebrand, and 
Johanna Gansz, — four sisters. 

In the spring of 1724 they resumed their meetings 
with great success, particularly among the young. 
During the summer the fame of their awakening spread 
abroad, and there was such an increase of attendance 
that there was not room for their accommodation. 
They also now deemed it well to make a full report of 
their reunion and success to the Brethren in Germany. 
They also resolved on a general visitation of all the 
Brethren iii the country. They started out on the 23d 
of October, and visited Skippack, Falckner's Swamp, 
and Oley ; holding meetings with breaking of bread at 
these several places. They then visited " the newly 
baptized Brethren on the Schuylkill," where two per- 
sons were baptized, and on November 7, 1724, the 
COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH was there 
formally organized, being the second Brethren church 
in America. The following were the nine constituent 
members : Martin Urner and his wife, Catharine ; Henry 
Landis and wife ; Daniel Eiker and wife ; Peter Hefily, 
Owen Longacre, and Andrew Sell. Martin Urner was 
made preacher, and when Alexander Mack arrived in 
America, in 1729, Martin Urner was ordained bishop 
by him. 

The visiting Germantown Brethren then proceeded 
up to Conestoga, now a part of Lancaster County. 
Here they also had a successful meeting, and, after 
baptizing seven, on the 12th day of November, 1724, 
they organized the Conestoga Church, which was the 
third Brethren church in America. This Conestoga 



12 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

Church is often spoken of as the Ephrata Church, as it 
was near where the town of Ephrata was subsequently 
built. The members of this new church made Conrad 
Beissel, who was one of the seven who had just been 
ba2:)tized, their preacher. This Beissel was a man of 
considerable ability, but of a dreamy, visionary turn of 
mind, and gave the Brethren churches much trouble 
during the remainder of his life. He died in 1768. 
By his peculiar views he divided the Conestoga Church, 
in 1728, in two parts, — the Brethren, who remained 
true to their faith, and the Seventh Day Baptists, his 
followers. He went off into Sabbatarianism, Monachism, 
and the advocacy of celibacy. He also built at Ephrata 
a monastery and a nunnery. The Conestoga Church 
was by this greatly weakened. The German town 
Church also lost many members, who moved up to 
Ephrata. The Coventry Church, owing to the good 
sense and conservatism of Martin Urner and his mem- 
bers, suffered the loss of but few. 

In the year 1729, Alexander Mack, before mentioned 
as one of the founders of the Brethren Church, with 
the rest of the Brethren still remaining in Europe, 
emigrated also to Pennsylvania. This colony was com- 
posed of about thirty families. This large addition 
greatly stimulated the Brethren in America, and largely 
counteracted the deleterious effects of the Beissel seces- 
sion. The following churches were soon after organ- 
ized : The Oley Church, in 1732 ; Great Swamp, in 
1733 ; Am well, ISTew Jersey, in 1733 ; Cocalico, in 
1735 ; White Oakland, in 1736 ; Conowango, in 1738 ; 
and others soon after. 

Owing to the location of the Germantown Church in 
a town, it never made much ^^rogress in numbers. The 
practice of feet-washing, of trine immersion, and the 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 13 

eflPorts of some to force a peculiarity of dress upon the 
members, in imitation of the Quakers, may have been 
felt as burdensome to persons living in a town. And 
many of the more emotional of the members found joy 
in burying themselves in the cloisters of Ephrata and 
in the wilds of Conestoga. 

In the Coventry Church a more healthy sentiment 
always prevailed ; while it had many accessions, its 
growth in number was retarded by heavy colonizations 
from the Church. The members were mostly farmers, 
and while the land was good, the lands in other localities 
were better. Some moved to what was then called the 
Conecocheague, now embraced in Franklin and Perry 
Counties, in Pennsylvania, and Washington County, 
Maryland ; some to the Shenandoah Valley, in Vir- 
ghiia ; and some to Carroll and Frederick Counties, in 
Maryland, where the Urners, the Wolfes, and the 
Crumbachers are still found. This migration, while 
it greatly reduced the church in number, made its 
influence, on the denomination at large, very great. 
While the Germantown Church was historically and 
by some ten months priority of organization the mother 
church, the Coventry Church was practically the 
mother church. 

But for the schism in the Conestoga Church caused 
by Conrad Beissel, that church might have divided 
honors with the Coventry Church.* 

The Brethren churches in America now number one 
hundred thousand members. 

* See article of A. H. Cassel, in the " Chrislian Family Com- 
panion" of April 9, 1872, pages 228, 229. 



14 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

MARTIN URNER, SR. 

Martin Urner, the founder of the Coventry Brethren 
Church, and its first bishop, was born in Alsace, then a 
province of France, in the year 1695. The family had 
been driven by religious persecution out of the Canton 
of Uri, Switzerland, whence the name Urner, and took 
refuge in Alsace. About 1708, Ulrich Urner, with his 
three sons, — Jacob, Hans, and Martin, — emigrated to 
Pennsylvania, and is said to have settled for a while 
at Roxborough, near Philadelphia. In 1712 the name 
of Martin Urner appears among the settlers of Lan- 
caster County.* In 1718 he bought a tract of four 
hundred and fifty acres of land of the Penns, in what 
is now called Coventry Township, Chester County, 
Pennsylvania, on the Schuylkill Piver immediately 
opposite the present town of Pottstown. On this 
property, now called Belwood, he and his descend- 
ants lived long years afterwards, and on part of the 
property the Coventry Brethren Church and the Cov- 
entry Brethren Graveyard are located. He died in 
1755, and was buried in the Coventry Brethren Grave- 
yard. 

The following account of this Martin Urner is found 
in the work called " Materials toward a History of the 
American Baptists," published, 1770, by Morgan Ed- 
wards, then Fellow of Phode Island College and Over- 
seer of the Baptist Church in Philadelphia. 

"Martin Urner, Sr., was born in Alsace about the 
year 1695, and was bred a Presbyterian. He came to 
America in 1715. [Earlier, about 1708.] He em- 



* See Eupp's "Thirty Thousand Names," Appendix III., ed. 
of 1876. 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 15 

braced the Principles of the Ba|3tists in 1722 ; was 
ordained by Alexander Mack in 1729, at which time 
he took upon himself the oversight of the church. 
He died in 1755 and was buried in the graveyard at 
Coventry. His wife was Catharine Keist, by whom 
he had the following children : Mary, Martin, and 
Jacob. These married into the WolfP, Edis, and Light 
families. Assistant to Mr. Urner was one Casper 
Ingles." 

MARTIN URNER, JR. 

The second bishop of the Coventry Church was 
Martin Urner, Jr., son of Jacob Urner and nephew of 
the first Martin Urner. He was born 1725, one mile 
northeast of the present town of Pottstown, Pennsyl- 
vania. He early joined the church, and was active in 
all its offices. On the death of Martin Urner, Sr., in 
1755, the entire charge of the church fell on him. He 
was ordained bishop in 1756. He continued preaching 
to the church with marked success until the time of his 
death in 1799. After the death of his uncle, Martin 
Urner, Sr., he bought the homestead and made it his 
permanent home. 

In the year 1772, during his ministry, the first house 
of worship was built for the Coventry Church. 

Prior to the building of this first meeting-house the 
members met by turns at the homes of different 
Brethren, though generally at the home of Martin 
Urner. It was customary to stay and take dinner after 
preaching, and spend the afternoon in conversation, 
singing, and prayer. This proved so edifying that it 
drew many into the church. The Germantown Breth- 
ren did the same, but in 1770 they built their meeting- 
house. 



16 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

As the Coventry Church was at that time very 
closely connected with the Germantown Church, two 
years after, in 1772, they also built a meeting-house. 

This Martin Urner died in 1799, and was buried in 
the Coventry Brethren Graveyard. 

The following anecdote is told of this Martin Urner 
by David Urner, of S23ringfield, Ohio, of the fifth gen- 
eration, in a letter to the writer of this sketch, dated 
October 14, 1872. 

" I never saw my grandfather, Martin Urner, as be died a few 
years before I was born. I learned, however, from an old friend, 
that he was esteemed by his brethren in the church and ministry, 
as a preacher of more than ordinary ability ; so much so, that 
at their yearly meetings he was always one of the number that 
were called upon to preach. My friend said that on one occasion 
when the Yearly Meeting was held in Philadelphia, as the 
preachers from the country were jogging along on horseback, 
going to that meeting, one of the preachers said to my grand- 
father, 'As you will no doubt be called on to preach at this 
meeting, 1 want you to preach particularly against the wearing 
of fine clothes, as the brethren and sisters of Philadelphia are 
becoming entirelj^ too fashionable in their dress.' And although 
he urged the matter lengthily, he thought m}" grandfather did 
not give all heed to what he said, and asked, ' Did you hear 
what I said ?' and the answer was, ' Yes.' The next question 
was, 'Will you do it?' when my grandfather replied, 'If 1 am 
called on to preach, I hope I shall have something of more im- 
portance than to talk to the people about the rags with which 
they cover themselves.' " 

Morgan Edwards gives the following account of this 
Martin Urner : 

'•The next and present minister [1770] is Eev. Martin Urner, 
Jr. He is nephew to the forementioned Martin Urner. He 
was born in 1725, in New Hanover Township and County of 
Philadelphia. Was ordained in 1756, at which time he took on 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 17 

him the care of the congregation. His assistant is Mr. Peter 
Eeinhart. Mr. Urner married Barbara Svvitzer, by whom he 
has children, Mary, Joseph, Martin, and Elizabeth." 

In the Brethren's Almanac of 1873, page 15, pub- 
lished by H. R. Holsinger, at Dale City, Pennsylva- 
nia, we have the following fuller account by Abraham 
H. Cassel, of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, the historian 
of the Brethren Church. 



-MARTIN URNER, JR. 

" Martin Urner, Jr., was a very popular preacher 
among the ancient worthies. He was a brother's son, 
or nej^hew, of the before-mentioned Martin Urner, Sr., 
and was born in New Hanover Township, then in 
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, but now in Mont- 
gomery County, Pennsylvania, in the year 1725. He 
became a member of the church at Coventry while 
very young in life, and after serving in her different 
offices with exemplary piety and disinterested zeal, he 
was finally promoted to the office of bishop, being or- 
dained in 1756. From that time on, the sole care of 
the church devolved upon him, until released by death. 
He died in May, 1799, in the seventy-fourth year of 
his age. He was married to Sister Barbara Switzer, of 
Coventry, by whom he had children, Mary, Joseph, 
Martin, and Elizabeth, who have raised him a numer- 
ous progeny, many of whom are still in fellowship with 
the Brethren. 

" This Brother Urner appears to have been somewhat 
of a revivalist, as the church flourished greatly under 
his ministerial labors. He was also the bosom friend 
of Alexander Mack, as their correspondence manifests 
the most intimate terms of love and friendship between 

3 



18 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

them during life, and the record of his death, also, is in 
language that bespeaks great tenderness and affection 
for him.'' 

JONAS URNER. 

The Urner family gave a third j^reacher to the Cov- 
entry Brethren Church, Jonas Urner. He was the son 
of the second Martin Urner, and, beginning to j)reach 
to the church at an early age, he continued to preach 
to it down to 1811, when he moved to Carroll County, 
Maryland, and labored with the Pipe Creek Church. 
He died in 1813, and his remains were buried in the 
Wolfe Graveyard, in Carroll County. 

LETTER OF ABRAHAM H. CASSEL AS TO WHEN THE 
FIRST HOUSE WAS BUILT AND WHEN REBUILT. 

" Harleysyille, Pa., March 18, 1890. 
"Isaac N. Urner: 

"Dear Sir, — Yours of the 15th inst. just to hand. I am 
sorry that I cannot give you absolutely certain dates, but cor- 
roborative incidents seem to settle it satisfactorily in my mind 
that the present building was erected in 1817. Many years ago, 
when I first commenced writing sketches of the early churches, 
I made considerable inquiry of those who assisted in the build- 
ing, and never heard of any other than 1817 ; and I was also 
informed that when they resolved on building the new house, 
they bought a half-acre of ground from Daniel Urner, I think, 
to enlarge the meeting-house lot, which was in 1817, according 
to the conveyance ; which I think should settle that point be- 
yond a doubt. James Wells being the architect, I think you 
might find some papers among his descendants that would sub- 
stantiate that date. 

"You are correct about the church being founded in 1724, 
but they had no meeting-house for a long time, as the old 
Brethren were opposed to having a meeting-house. They held 
their meetings in a kind of rotation, at Martin Urner's and at 
four other places, and the custom then was that where the 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 19 

meeting was most of the people stayed for dinner, and the after- 
noons were spent in private conversation, singing, and prayer, 
which was so edifying to the people that it was the means of 
drawing many into the church. The Germantown Brethren did 
the same, and it there also brought many into the church. In 
1770, however, the Gerraantown Brethren built a meeting-house, 
which was the first that the Brethren had in America. For all 
of this I have original documents. As the Coventry Church 
was then a branch of the Germantown Church, they took ex- 
ample of them, and also built a meeting-house soon after. I 
have an old list of the members that belonged to the Coventry 
Church in 1770, in which it is said that they still had no meet- 
ing-house, and that they still held their meetings in the above- 
mentioned rotation. But for various reasons, I feel sure it was 
built soon after. I think in 1772. 

" Yery respectfully, 

" Your friend, 

" Abraham H. Cassel." 

After the receipt of the foregoing letter I called 
upon Mrs. Catharine Keim, a daughter of James Wells 
referred to in the letter. She said that she had always 
been told that the meeting-house was built in the year 
in which she was born ; and she was born in 1817. 

After the proceedings had been entered, the follow- 
ing sketch of the Coventry Brethren Church was re- 
ceived from Abraham H. Cassel, dated April 12, 1890. 

'^A SHORT SKETCH OF THE COVENTRY BRETHREN 
CHURCH. 

" Mainly from the writings of Morgan Edwards. 

"The Coventry Church is so called from the township in 
which it is located. It was organized in 1724, when Martin 
Urner and wife, Henry Landis and wife, Daniel Eiker and wife, 
Peter Heffly, Owen Longacre, and Andrew Sell did unite to cele- 
brate the Lord's Supper and to walk in unity and love, having 
called Elder Peter Becker to their assistance. 

" The first minister that they had was the above-named 



20 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

Martin Urner. He was born in Alsace, then a province of 
France, in 1695, and was bred in the Presbj'terian faith. He 
came to America before 1715, and embraced the principles of 
the Brethren in 1722, and was baptized in 1723. He was or-, 
dained to the office of bishop by Elder Alexander Mack in 
1729, at which time he took on himself the entire oversight of 
the church. He died in 1755, and was buried in the Coventry 
Brethren Graveyard. His wife was Catharine Reist, by whom 
he had three children, Mary, Martin, and Jacob. They married 
into the Wolfe, Edis, and Light, or Lichty, families. His 
assistant was Casper Ingles. 

"The church increased fast, and in 1770 would have been a 
very large congregation had not so many gone away to get 
better lands elsewhere, as they were mostly husbandmen. 
Numbers went to what was then called the Conecocheague, in 
Franklin and Perry Counties, in Pennsylvania, and some also to 
Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas. 

" The next minister was Martin Urner, Jr. He was nephew 
of the older Martin Urner. He was born in 1725, in New 
Hanover Township, then in Philadelphia, now Montgomery, 
County. He was ordained in 1756, at which time he took on 
himself the care and oversight of the church. His assistant in 
the ministry was Peter Reinhart. This Martin Urner was 
married to Barbara Switzer, by whom he had four children, 
Mary, Joseph, Martin, and Elizabeth. 

" The Coventry Church always had a very efficient local minis- 
try, as their early preachers were all men of talent and ability, 
and were often visited by able preachers of other localities and 
of other denominations, such as Morgan Edwards, Elhanan Win- 
chester, George De Benneville, Peter Keyser, and others. [Peter 
Keyser was baptized by Martin Urner in 1784.] The following 
list of members in 1770 may seem small, but we must remember 
that great numbers moved away, that some joined Conrad 
Beissel's Fraternity at Ephrata, and that several also were led 
astray by the Moravian Count Zinzendorf, and that many were 
carried away by death. 

" From corroborative facts known to me, I have no doubt but 
that the Coventry Church had hundreds of additions between 
its organization in 1724 and its census in 1770. 

" Abraham H. Cassel. 

"Harleysville, April 12, 1890." 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 



21 



LIST OF MEMBERS OF COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH 
IN 1770. 
Bar- John Eiker. 



Martin Urner and wife, 

bara. 
Peter Reinhart. . 
Owen Eeinhart. 
Henry Dasker and wife. 
Nicholas Harwick and wife. 
Abraham Grubb and wife. 
Christian Monsieur. 
Barbara Miller. 
Barbara Welty. 
Frederick Eeinhart and wife, 
Barbara Urner. 
Elizabeth Ingles. 
Catharine Grumbacher. 
Catharine Bach. 



Jacob Pfoutz and wife. 
Abraham Bach. 
Andrew Wolff. 
Esther Svvitzer (nee Urner). 
Wendel Danfelder. 
Henry Bear and wife. 
Jacob Switzer and wife. 
Maud Eeinhart. 
Jacob Light and wife. 
Philip Waggoner and wife. 
Elizabeth Halderman. 
Anthony Bernard and daugh- 
ter. 
John Liojht and wife. 



The above list is taken from Morgan Edwards's 
work. 

In the year 1890 the Coventry Church, with its two 
branches, Parkerford and Harmony ville, had three 
hundred and twenty members. 



LIST OF PREACHERS OF THE COVENTRY BRETHREN 
CHURCH FROM 1724 TO 1898. 

Born. Died. 

Martin Urner, Sr 1695 1755 

Martin Urner, Jr 1725 1799 

Jonas Urner 1772 1813 

Casper Ingles 

Peter Eeinhart 1733 1806 

Martin Eeinhart 1757 1820 

Abraham Eeinhart 1770 1812 

George Price 1753 1823 

John Price, Sr 1782 1850 



22 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

LIST OF PREACHERS OF THE COVENTRY BRETHREN 
CHURCH FROM 1724 TO 1898.— Continued. 

John Price, Jr 1810 1879 

Jacob Harley 1786 1842 

John Harley 1812 1895 

David Keini 1802 1897 

Peter Hollowbush 1805 1872 

Jacob Conner 1834 

Isaac Urner Brower 1844 

Jesse P. Hetric 1844 

John Y. Eisenberg 1840 

As many of the facts connected with the early history 
of the Brethren Church in America, and of the early 
history of the Coventry Church, and of the connection 
of the Urners with these organizations, are found in 
Morgan Edwards's work, and as copies of this book are 
becoming very rare, those parts of the history relating 
immediately to the subjects under consideration are here 
appended. 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 23 



MATERIALS 



A History of the American Baptists. 

BY 

MOEGAN EDWAEDS, A.M., 

Fellow of Rhode Island College and Overseer of the Baptist Church 
in Philadelphia. 

IN TWELVE VOLUMES. 

PHILADELPHIA : 

PRIXTED BY JOSEPH CRUKSHAXK AXD ISAAC COLLIXS. 

MDCCLXX. 

'' VOL. I., PART IV. 

" Treats of the Germans in Pennsylvania who are 
commonly called Tunkers, to distinguish them from the 
Mennonites, for both are styled ®te ^ciufer, or Baptists. 

" The first appearance of these people in America was 
in the fall of the year 1719, when about twenty families 
landed in Philadelphia and dispersed, some to German- 
town, some to Skippack, some to Oley, some to Conestoga, 
and elsewhere. The dispersion incapacitated them to 
meet for public worship, and therefore they soon began 
to grow lukewarm in religion. But in the year 1722, 
Messieurs Baker, Gomery, Gantz, and the Trauts visited 
their scattered brethren, which was attended with great 
revival, in so much that societies were formed wherever 
a number of families were within reach one of another. 
But this lasted not above three years. They settled on 
their lees again, till about thirty families more of their 
persecuted brethren arrived in the fall of 1729, which 
both quickened them again and increased their number 



24 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

everywhere. These two companies had been members 
of one and the same church, which originated at Schwar- 
zenau in the year 1708. The first constituents were 
Alexander Mack and wife, John Kipin and wife, George 
Grevy, Andreas Bhoney, Lucas Fetter, and Joanna 
Nethigeim. These had been bred Presbyterians, except 
Kipin, who was a Lutheran, and, being neighbors, they 
consorted together to read the Bible and edify one 
another in the way they had been brought up ; for as yet 
they did not know that there were any Baptists in the 
world. However, believer's baptism and a congrega- 
tional church soon gained upon them, in so much that 
they were determined to obey the Gospel in these mat- 
ters. They desired Alexander Mack to baptize them ; 
but he, deeming himself, in reality, unbaptized, refused. 
Upon which they cast lots to find who should be adminis- 
trator. On whom the lot fell hath been carefully con- 
cealed. However, baptized they were in the E-iver 
Eder by Schwarzenau ; and then formed themselves 
into a church, choosing Alexander Mack to be their 
minister. They increased fast, and began to spread 
their branches to Merienborn and Epstein, having John 
Naass and Christian Levy to their ministers in these 
places. But persecutions quickly drave them thence, 
some to Holland and some to Cryfelt. Soon after, the 
Mother Church voluntarily moved from Schwarzenau 
to Serustervin, in Frezland ; and from thence migrated 
to America in 1719. And in 1729 those of Cryfelt 
and Holland followed their brethren. Thus we see 
that all the Tunker Churches in America sprang from 
the church of Schwarzenau, in Germany ; that that 
church began in 1708, with only seven souls, and that 
in a place where no Baptist had been in the memory 
of man, nor any now are. In sixty -tw^o years that 



COVENTRY BRETHEEN CHURCH. 25 

little one has become a thousand, and that small one a 
great nation. 

- BEGGARSTOWN. [GERMANTOWN.] 

" This takes its name from a village of the above 
name, in the township of Germantown, eight miles 
north by west from that city. The meeting-house is of 
stone, thirty feet square, erected this year [1770] on a 
lot of eighty rods, the gift of one Peter Shilbert. On 
the same lot stands their old building, erected by one 
John Pettikoffer for his dwelling in 1731 ; and because 
it was the first house in the place, and erected by a 
beggar, the village assumed the name of Beggarstown. 
The families belonging to the congregation are about 
thirty ; whereof fifty-seven persons are baptized and in 
the communion of the church. This was the state in 
1770. For their beginning we have no farther back 
to look than December 25, 1723, when the following 
persons (some baptized in Germany and some in this 
country) formed themselves into a society having Peter 
Baker to their minister ; and had the Lord's Supper 
and Love-feast, etc., for the first time they were cele- 
brated in the Province. [For names, see j)ages 10 and 
11.] 

"REV. PETER BAKER. 

" He was born in 1687, at Dilsheim, in Germany. 
Educated a Presbyterian. Embraced the principles of 
the Baptists in 1714. Arrived in this country in 1719. 
Settled with the church of Beggarstown in 1723. 
Went to Skippack in 1747, where he died and was 
buried March 19, 1758. He married Dorothy Partman, 
by whom he had two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, 
who married into the Harley and Stump families and 
have raised him fifteen grandchildren. Whatever his 



26 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

real character was, yet this may be said of him, he la- 
bored more abundantly than all of his contemporaries. 
His successor, who had also been his colleague, was 

-REV. ALEXANDER MACK. 

" He was born in the year 1680, at Schrisheim, in 
Germany. Was educated a Calvinist. Embraced the 
Baptist principles in 1708. Arrived in this country 
with many of his congregation in 1729, and became a 
minister of Beggarstown the same year. Died in 1735 
and was buried at Germantown. He married Anna 
Magareta Kling, by whom he had children, Valentine, 
John, Alexander (now minister of Beggarstown), who 
married into the Hildebrand, Sneider, and Nice families, 
and have raised him many grandchildren. His fourth 
child was Anna, now a single sister at Ephrata. Mr. 
Mack w^as a man of real piety. He had a handsome 
patrimony at Schrisheim, with a profitable mill and 
vineyard thereon, but spent all in raising and main- 
taining his church at Schwarzenau, whereof he was 
father and the father of all the Tunkers. His succes- 
sor is his son, 

-REV. ALEXANDER MACK. 

" He w^as born at Schwarzenau, January 28, 1712. 
Baptized in 1728. Arrived in America in 1729. . 
Ordained in 1749, at which time he took on him the 
care of the church. He married Elizabeth Nice, by 
whom he has children, William, Sarah, Hannah, Lydia, 
Elizabeth, Margaret. Mr. Mack is a sincere, good man. 

-COVENTRY CHURCH. 

" This takes its distinction from the township where 
most of the members reside, in the county of Chester, 
thirty-seven miles northwest by west from Philadelphia. 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 27 

These people have no public place of worship, but hold 
their meetings in a kind of rotation at five private 
houses. The present minister is Mr. Martin Urner, 
who has to his assistance Mr. Peter Reinhart. The 
families belonging to them are about twenty-two, 
whereof forty are baptized. [Here in a foot-note the 
names of the forty members are given, as found on 
page 21, preceding.] This was their fate in 1770. 
For their original we must look back to 1724, when 
one Daniel Eiker and wife, Henry Landis and wife, 
Peter Hefily, Martin Urner, Owen Longacre, and An- 
drew Sell (who had been baptized before) did unite to 
celebrate the Lord's Supper and to walk together in love, 
having Pev. Peter Baker to their assistance. They 
increased fast, and would now be a very large society 
had not so many families gone away to Virginia, Caro- 
lina, and other parts. The first minister they had was 

''REV. MARTIN URNER. 

" He was born in Alsace about 1695, and was bred a 
Presbyterian. He came to America in 1715. [Earlier.] 
He embraced the principles of the Baptists in 1722. 
He was ordained by Pev. Alexander Mack in 1729, 
at which time he took on him the oversight of the 
church. He died in 1755 and was buried in the grave- 
yard at Coventry. His wife was Catharine Peist, by 
whom he had children, Mary, Martin, Jacob. These 
married into the Wolf, Edis, and Light families. As- 
sistant to Mr. Urner was one Casper Ingles. The next 
and present minister is 

''REV. MARTIN URNER. 

" He is nephew to the forementioned Martin Urner. 
Was born in 1725 in New Hanover Township and 



28 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

county of Philadelphia. Ordained in 1756, at which 
time he took on him the care of the congregation. His 
assistant is Peter Reinhart. Mr. Urner married Bar- 
bara Switzer, by whom he has children, Mary, Joseph, 
Martin, and Elizabeth. 

''EPHRATA. 

^' This church was distinguished by the above name, 
which is the name of the village where it exists, in 
Cocalico Township) and Lancaster County, sixty miles 
west-northwest by west from Philadelphia. The same 
village is frequently called Tunkerstown. It consists of 
about thirty or forty buildings, and stands on a parcel 
of land containing one hundred and fifty-five acres. 

" They had their existence as a society on November 
12, 1724, when Conrad Beissel, Joseph Shaffer, John 
Mayer and wife, Heinrich Helm and wife, and Veronica 
Frederick w^ere baptized in Pequea Piver by Pev. Peter 
Baker. On the same day these seven incorporated into 
a church and chose Conrad Beissel to be their minister. 
After this they continued some time at Mill Creek, and 
then removing about three miles northward, pitched on 
the land of Pudolph Neagley, in Earl Township. Here 
they continued about seven years ; and hither resorted 
many to see them, some of which joined the society. 
Here they began their economy, the men living by 
themselves on the forementioned lands, and the women 
also by themselves on the adjoining lands of John 
Moyley. Here Conrad Beissel appointed two elders 
and a matron to preside over his church in the Avilder- 
ness, binding them by a solemn promise (and at the 
same time giving to each a testament) to govern accord- 
ing to the rules of that book. Then he withdrew, and 
made as though they should see him no more. This 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 29 

was done in the year 1733. He travelled northward 
till he came to the spot where Ephrata, or Tunkertown, 
now stands, and with his hoe planted Indian corn and 
roots for his subsistence. But he had not been long in 
the place before his society found him out and repaired 
to his little cot ; the brethren settling with him on the 
west bank of the Cocalico, and the sisters in the east, 
all in sight of one another, with the river running 
between them. The next year they set about building 
their village, beginning with a |)lace of worship. The 
village is enclosed with a ditch and fortified with posts 
and rails and quicksets. The founder of this people 
and their minister was 

^'REV. CONRAD BEISSEL. 

" This was his real name ; but when he became a 
Baptist he assumed the name of Friedsam Gottrecht, 
and gave new names to all the brethren and sisters. 
He was born in 1690, at Eberbach in Germany. Bred 
a Presbyterian. Arrived in Boston in 1720. Thence 
he and his two companions, Stunts and Steiffel, trav- 
elled westward to Pennsylvania and lived as hermits 
about Millcreek and Swedesprings, in Lancaster County. 
He embraced the principles of the Baptists in 1724. 
Died July 6, 1768, and was buried at Ephrata. As for 
his character, I give it in the words of one who knew 
him well : 

'^ ^ He was very strict in his morals and practised 
self-denial and mortification to an uncommon degree. 
Enthusiastic and whimsical he certainly was, but an 
apparent devoutness and sincerity ran through all his 
oddities. He was not an adept in any of the liberal 
arts and sciences except music, in which he excelled. 
He composed and set to music (in three, four, six, and 



30 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

eight parts) a folio volume of liymns and another of 
anthems. He j)ublished a dissertation on the fall of 
man in the mysterious strain ; also a volume of letters. 
He left behind several books in manuscript curiously 
written and embellished. It is expected that his life 
will be published by his successor and the present min- 
ister of E|)lirata.' " 

[The expected "life" or work just referred to has 
been published and is called " Chronicon Ephratense." 
An extract from this work, referring to Kev. Martin 
Urner, appears on page 9, preceding.] 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ITS PREACHERS FROM 
ITS ORGANIZATION IN 1724 TO 1898. 

THE THREE URNERS. 

Ulricli Urner, with his three sons, Jacob, Martin, 
and Hans, came to America from Europe, from Alsace, 
then a province of France, about 1708, certainly before 
1712, as the name of Martin Urner, one of the three 
sons, is found in the list of land-owners of Lancaster 
County, Pennsylvania, in that year. Originally the 
family belonged to the Canton of Uri, in Switzerland, 
as the name unmistakably shows. The inhabitants of 
that canton are called Urners, as the inhabitants of the 
Canton Schwytz are called Switzers. The name Urner 
is common in Uri and in different parts of Switzerland 
as a geographical designation, as Urner See or lake, 
Urner Boden or territory, and Urner Loch or tunnel. 

About the year 1682 religious persecution drove the 
Urners out of Switzerland into Alsace, from whence 
they emigrated to America in 1708. In 1718 Martin 
Urner, the founder of the Coventry Brethren Church, 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 31 

bought of the Penns nommally three hundred and 
fifty-six, but really four hundred and fifty, acres of 
land on the Schuylkill, immediately opposite the pres- 
ent town of Pottstown, on part of which purchase Cov- 
entry Brethren Church and Coventry Brethren Grave- 
yard are located. The original land surveys along the 
river had only four sides, one being the river itself, and 
two of the other sides being substantially ]3arallel to 
each other and at right angles to the river. The road 
passing the church and running through Kenilworth 
marks one of these sides, and the road passing the 
graveyard marks the other. The Urner |)atent ex- 
tended over a mile back from the river. 

The Urner family, as noted in the above list, gave 
three preachers to the church founded by the first of 
them. These preached continuously to the church 
from the time of its founding, 1724, down to 1810, 
when the last of them, Jonas Urner, moved to Mary- 
land. So they preached to the church eighty-seven 
years, just one-half of the church's existence, down to 
the present time, 1898. 

CASPER INGLES. 

Nothing is known of Cas^oer Ingles, except the state- 
ment of Morgan Edwards that he was assistant to the 
first bishop, Martin Urner. In the list of the mem- 
bers of the Coventry Church in 1770, as given by 
Morgan Edwards, the name of Elizabeth Ingles occurs, 
possibly the widow of Casper Ingles, or a sister or 

daughter. 

THE THREE REINHARTS. 

Ulrich Reinhart was the first of the family to come 
to America. He arrived in Philadelphia, August 28, 
1733, in ship " Hope," of London, Daniel Beid, master, 



32 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

from Rotterdam, last from Cowes. He married three 
times. By his first wife he had four sons, — Rev. Peter, 
who was assistant to second bishop, Martin Urner, 
Frederick, Ulrich, and John. By his second wife he 
had, as far as known, two children, — Rev. Martin 
Reinhart and David Reinhart. Nothing is known as 
to children by the third wife. Ulrich, the immigrant, 
settled on a farm on the right side of the Schuylkill 
River, in Coventry Township, a half-mile below Frick's 
Lock, Chester County, Pennsylvania, which farm sub- 
sequently passed to his son. Rev. Martin Reinhart, then 
to John Baugh, and is now, 1898, owned by David 
Updegrove. He was buried in the Union Graveyard 
at Parkerford, with the following inscription on his 

tombstone : 

U. R. 

Feb. 12, 1787 

a. 82 J 

Two of his sons, Peter and Martin, and a grandson, 
Abraham, successively became preachers in the Coven- 
try Church. Morgan Edwards, writing in 1770, states 
that at that time Peter Reinhart was assistant to the 
second bishop, Martin Urner. As Peter Reinhart was 
then thirty-seven years old, it is probable that he had 
been preaching some years before. In those days men 
commenced preaching early. As the last of the Rein- 
hart preachers, Abraham Reinhart, died in 1842, the 
three Reinharts probably, too, preached to the Coven- 
try Church some eighty odd years. 

THE THREE PRICES. 

Jacob Preisz was the immigrant ancestor of the 
Prices who subsequently became prominent among the 
Brethren. He was a Prussian and came to America in 



COVENTEY BRETHREN CHURCH. 33 

1719. About 1721 lie settled at Indian Creek, Mont- 
gomery County, Pennsylvania. He had but one son, 
Johannes or John. This Johannes Preisz, without 
much doubt, is the one mentioned on page 11, pre- 
ceding. When Martin Urner with his company of six 
applied for baptism at Germantown, in the fall of 1723, 
this name, Johannes Preisz, occurs among the names 
of the seventeen who were induced to organize them- 
selves into a church that they might administer bap- 
tism to the six applicants. In 1770, when Morgan 
Edwards wrote his History of the Baj^tists, the name 
still retained its German spelling, Johannes Preisz. 

In August, 1773, Daniel Price, a descendant, living 
at Indian Creek, bought land in Nantmeal Township, 
Chester County, for his son George, who settled there 
in 1774, his name appearing among the taxables of 
Nantmeal Township in that year. He continued to 
live in Nantmeal until 1794, when he sold out his 
Nantmeal property and bought a farm in Coventry 
Township, at the present Laurel Hill Locks, where he 
himself and his son John, the second preacher of the 
family in Chester County, and his grandson John, the 
third preacher of his family, continued to dwell during 
their lives. George Price started a Brethren interest 
in Nantmeal while he lived there and continued to 
labor in it until the time of his death in 1823. After 
moving to Coventry Township in 1794 he also took 
turns with the Urners and Reinharts in preaching to 
the Coventry Church. According to the letter of Isaac 
Price, before referred to, the Nantmeal interest did not 
prosper after the death of George Price, the members 
drifting into other churches or back into the world. 

When George Price moved to Coventry Townshi]^ 
the Coventry Church w^as seventy years old. 



34 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

THE TWO HARLEYS. 

The HaiTey family furnished two preachers to the 
Coventry Church, Jacob Harley and his son John 
Harley. 

Rudolph Harley, the first of the family in America, 
came to Germantown, September 15, 1729, in the ship 
" Allen," James Craigie, master, from Rotterdam, with 
the second colony of Brethren, which included Alex- 
ander Mack and thirty families. This Rudolph Harley 
had a son Rudolph and one daughter. This Rudolph, 
of the second generation, married Mary, daughter of 
Peter Becker, who was so prominent in the German- 
town Church. Rudolph Harley and Mary Becker had 
thirteen children. Among them were Hannah, born 
in 1743, who married Ulrich Stauffer, grandfather of 
the late Owen Stover and great-grandfather of Eliza 
G. Urner, wife of the writer of this sketch ; Rudolph, 
of the third generation, born in 1749, who married 
Barbara Bach, of the well-known Baugli family of the 
neighborhood ; Sarah, born June, 1756, who married 
George Price, mentioned before as the first of the three 
Price preachers of the Coventry Church ; and Samuel, 
born March, 1758, who married Catharine Saur, of the 
prominent Brethren family of that name at German- 
town. This Samuel was the founder of Harleysville, 
Montgomery County, to which place he moved in 1790. 
Abraham Harley Cassel, of Harleysville, the historian 
of the Brethren Church, is a grandson of Samuel 
Harley, the founder of Harleysville. 

Of the fourth generation, Rudolph Harley and Bar- 
bara Bach had eleven children, — Rudolph, Samuel, 
John, Abraham, Rev, Jacob, the first of the two Harley 
preachers of the Coventry Church ; Sarah, wife of Jo- 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 35 

seph Reiff; Elizabeth, wife of Abram Grubb ; Barbara, 
wife of Peter Stager ; Hannah, wife of John Reif- 
snider ; Mary, wife of David Grubb ; and, by a second 
marriage, Benjamin, late justice of the peace in North 
Coventry Township, Chester County. 

Jacob Harley was the last who preached in German 
in the Coventry Church. Many of his predecessors 
had used the English language in their preaching. 

DAVID KEIM. 

The first of the Keim family came to America about 
1709 and settled originally in Oley Township, Berks 
County. On page 10 of Rupp's " Collection of Thirty 
Thousand Names" the following paragraph occurs : 
" Germans and French located [between 1709 and 
1717] on the fertile lands of Wahlink [Oley]. Among 
the prominent families in Oley were the Turcks or De 
Turcks, Bertolets, Berdos, De la Plaines, Delangs, 
Loras, Levans, Yoder, Keim, Herbain, Schaub, Engel, 
Weidner, Schneider, and Alstadt." 

Subsequently members of the family moved out in 
different directions. One branch located in Beading, 
one in Bucks County, and a third in Chester County 
at the Yellow Springs. The head of this last branch 
was named Hans or Johannes, — in English, John. 
Afterwards this Hans or John settled at or near the 
present village of Harmonyville, in Warwick Town- 
ship. He had four sons, — George, John, Peter, and 
Stephens. 

George Keim, just named, was the grandfather of 
Rev. David Keim. He was born December 3, 1753, 
and died December 3, 1838. His wife was Catharine 
Shingle, born January 5, 1757, and died June 5, 1838. 
The parents of Rev. David Keim were Jacob Keim, 



36 COVENTKY J5UETJI1IEN CHUKCH. 

born February 6, 1776, and died September 21, 1823, 
and Hannah Bwitzer, born May 14, 1781, and died 
April 4, 1855. Hannah Switzer was daughter of Ulrich 
Switzer and Hester Urner. 

The property or homestead that Hans Keim, great- 
grandfather of Rev. David Keim, purchased at Har- 
raonyville has been in the family ever since. It is 
now owned by Jonathan Keim, of Pottstown, the nur- 
sery-man. 

Rev. David Keim at one time lived in Coventry 
Township, Chester County, but in 1845 he moved to 
Warwick Township, and soon commenced building up a 
Brethren interest there. His labors were blessed, and 
he lived to see the interest grow and develop into the 
present Harmonyville Church, with its fine, commo- 
dious meeting-house. He was a bishop in the Brethren 
Church. 

The parents and grandparents of Rev. David Keim 
are buried in the cemetery of the Second Reformed 
Church of Coventry (Shenkel's). His remains and 
those of his wife are interred in the Coventry Brethren 
Graveyard. 

Rev. Lewis M. Keim is a grandnephew of David 

Keim. 

PETER HOLLOWBUSH. 

Rev. Peter Hollowbush, for thirty years an accept- 
able and loved minister of the Coventry Brethren 
Church, was descended from Christian Hollowbush, a 
great-grandfather, who came to America from the 
Palatinate in Germany in 1720 and settled near Zieg- 
lersville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Chris- 
tian Hollowbush had a son Henry, whose second son, 
John, living in Limerick Township, was the father of 
the preacher. Peter Hollowbush was born in Limerick 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 37 

Township, June 2, 1805. In early life he learned the 
milling business, and located as a journeyman miller 
in what is now known as Parkerford. On March 25, 
1828, he married Hannah Wilson, daughter of John 
and Mary (Parker) Wilson. The family of his mother- 
in-law, the Parkers, gave name to Parkerford, and it 
was at the Parker mill, situated at the old Parker Ford 
crossing the Schuylkill Piver, that he worked as 
journeyman miller. 

About the year 1840 he united with the Brethren 
Church, and on November 5, 1842, he was elected to 
the ministry, in which he labored faithfully until the 
time of his death, March 13, 1872. 

Mr. Hollowbush was blessed in having six children, 
who grew up and married, of all of whom there are 
offspring now living. There are four daughters, all 
living, — Mrs. John S. Frederick, Mrs. Harrison Har- 
ley, Mrs. Joseph H. Stamm, all of North Coventry 
Township, Chester County, and Mrs. Mary Cook, of 
Harrisburg, — and two sons, both dead, — John H. Hol- 
lowbush, survived by one daughter. Miss Stella Hollow- 
bush, of Pottstown, and Henry H. Hollowbush, sur- 
vived by one son, William H. Hollowbush, Esq., of 
Mount Joy, Lancaster County. 

JACOB CONNER. 

Jacob Conner, son of Jesse and Susanna Conner, nee 
Landis, was born in Skippack Township, Montgomery 
County, Pennsylvania, March 7, 1834. He was raised 
in Limerick Township, Montgomery County, as farm- 
ers' boys usually were, and educated in subscription day 
schools in the common branches of reading, writing, 
and arithmetic. He was converted and baptized at the 
Lidian Creek Brethren Church in the eighteenth year 



38 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

of his age. His parents Avere converted and baptized 
about five years prior. He married Hannah Jane 
Eisenberg in his twenty-third year, she being the 
daughter of John and Hannah Eisenberg and sister of 
John Y. and William Y. Eisenberg. His wife's j^ar- 
ents were members of the Coventry Brethren Church. 
He moved into Coventry Township, Chester County, 
in 1861, but did not transfer his membership to the 
Coventry Church till several years later, at which time 
he entered heartily into church and Sunday-school 
work, being a Sunday-school teacher for some years. 
He was elected to the ministry May 25, 1872, having 
previously served as deacon for several years. His 
efforts received good encouragement from the church 
and the community. When advanced to the second 
degree in the ministry later, so as to be authorized to 
baptize and solemnize marriages, still more of his time 
and attention was required. His labors in the ministry 
were not only in the Coventry Church, but also in the 
Parkerford and Harmonyville Churches and at Frank- 
lin. He also filled appointments in other churches in 
adjacent counties. He also served at funerals in and 
out of the church in the community. He attended 
District and Annual Conferences as representative. 
For a number of years he was a member of the Mission 
Board of Eastern Pennsylvania. The school interests 
at Huntingdon were encouraged from their earliest or- 
ganization both by funds and patronage. For some 
years he was a trustee of the college at Huntingdon. 
All his children attended that college. He served in 
the Coventry Church until 1889, when he moved back 
to Montgomery County, to Gratersford, where he has 
been laboring in the ministry every since. 



COVENTRY BEETHREN CHURCH. 39 

ISAAC URNER BROWER. 

Isaac Urner Brower, the sixteenth minister in order 
of succession in the Coventry Brethren Church, was 
elected and installed into the sacred office a.d. 1875, 
and advanced to the second degree of the ministry 
A.D. 1880. 

He was the third son of Gilbert and Lydia Brower, 
and was born in Coventry Township, Chester County, 
Pennsylvania, upon the old Martin Urner homestead, 
January 7, 1844. His ancestry on the paternal side 
has been traced back five generations, to Hubert 
Brower and Anna, his wife, Mennonites, who came 
from the Palatinate and settled on the Schuylkill as 
early as 1726. His maternal ancestry descended from 
the old and historic Urner family of Canton Uri, 
Switzerland, one of whose members, Ulrich Urner, 
went in 1682 to Alsace, France, from whence he, with 
his three sons, Jacob, Martin, and John, came to Phila- 
delphia in 1708. Jacob Urner died in 1744, and his 
son, Martin, second Bishop of Coventry Church, was 
the father of Martin Urner, Jr., whose son, John 
Urner, married Elizabeth Grubb, to which union were 
born Isaac N. Urner and Lydia Urner, the mother of 
the subject of this sketch. 

Isaac Urner Brower had the advantage of a good 
academic and normal school education, whereby he be- 
came fitted for an instructor of youth. Subsequently 
he taught for a period of twelve terms in the public 
schools of his own and adjoining counties. 

Early in life he became identified with the Brethren 
Church, by which, in after-years, he was called to the 
ministry. He also served, for a number of years, as 
the efficient superintendent of the Brethren Sabbath- 
school of the Parkerford Church. 



40 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

The subject of this sketch was united in marriage to 
Mary A. Johnson, daughter of Abraham and Elizabetli 
Johnson, January 2, 1868. They have one child. Dr. 
Charles J. Brower, born June 29, 1871, now engaged 
in the practice of medicine in Spring City, Pennsyl- 
vania. 

JESSE P. HETRIC. 

Jesse P. Hetric was born of German parentage in 
Mahoning Township, Armstrong County, Pennsyl- 
vania, on December 20, 1843. His father was a farmer, 
and the son resided on the farm and worked as most 
farmer boys are required to do. He attended the dis- 
trict school near by for the usual term of three months 
annually. In this way, by dint of effort and use of 
spare moments, he qualified for teaching, and took his 
first teacher's examination in the fall of 1863, and 
taught his first term of three months during the winter 
of 1863-64 at the salary of nineteen dollars and fifty 
cents per month. His early religious convictions were 
very marked and singularly clear. But with his nat- 
urally light-minded disposition and fondness for the 
pursuits of pleasure, he was able for a time to stifle his 
sense of responsibility. Two events in his life enforced 
and deepened his convictions and hastened his con- 
version. He nearly lost his life by drowning on a 
Sunday boating expedition, and at another time, when 
recklessly riding a young horse in the field, he was 
thrown and came near being trampled to death. 
Though a careless youth, yet in these preservations 
God's hand was so clearly manifest as to enforce 
though tfulness as to duty to God. The death of his 
mother in December, 1863, and that of his oldest 
brother the following January, had a strong bearing in 
completing conviction and conversion. He was bap- 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 41 

tized and received into the old Redbank Church by 
Elder James Quinter on September 5, 1864. Being 
anxious for more mental training than the common 
schools afforded him, he in the spring of 1865 entered 
Reid Institute and continued there till he graduated 
in the fall of 1870. His intention was to enter the 
medical profession, but this was changed for him when 
on June 30, 1865, he was elected to the ministry in 
the E-edbank Church. He yielded his own chosen 
profession for the Master's call to duty. He continued 
his studies to thus fit himself for more usefulness in 
the higher calling, and the record of his life, the nu- 
merous conversions under his preaching, abundantly 
justify his divine call. The charge of his home church 
soon fell to his lot. At the close of his school life two 
other churches, the Glade Run and Cowanshanock, 
became part of his charge. With three churches to 
minister to and numerous calls for evangelistic services, 
his time and talents were taxed to the utmost. 

On the 19th of November, 1872, he was united in 
marriage w^ith Hannah J. King, daughter of Jacob and 
Sarah A. King, of Clarion County, Pennsylvania, an 
estimable lady, an old school friend, and his assistant 
teacher for two terms of school work. 

In April, 1874, he removed to Philadelphia and took 
charge of the Marshall Street Church, where he con- 
tinued for eight years as pastor, at the same time 
making frequent trips for evangelistic services in the 
surrounding country. In April, 1877, he met with the 
great loss and sorrow of his life in the death of his 
estimable wife. Notwithstanding he was broken down 
in physical health and discouraged in heart, he took up 
the duties of life alone in the city church. 

In June, 1882, he resigned his city charge and took 



42 COVENTEY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

a vacation of five months. In November of the same 
year he moved to Parkerford, Chester County, Penn- 
sylvania, and entered upon his labors in the Coventry 
Church, where he is located at the present time. After 
laboring in this church for sixteen years he, on Jan- 
uary 8, 1898, formally presented his resignation as 
pastor — still remaining the elder — of the church. The 
church, at his request, has tried to supply the pulpit 
with a younger minister, thus giving the subject of 
this sketch a release from the more arduous duties of 
the pastorate and an opportunity of more retirement. 

JOHN Y. EISENBERG. 

Lawrence Eisenberg was born 1763, and married 
Ruth Jones in 1790. A number of children blessed 
this union, of whom John was the eldest and father of 
the subject of this sketch. 

John Y. Eisenberg, son of John and Hannah Eisen- 
berg, was born in Limerick Township, Montgomery 
County, Pennsylvania, June 2, 1840. On the 30th of 
April, 1851, John Eisenberg, father of John Y., died, 
leaving the young John to battle life without a father. 
His educational advantages were such as the ordinary 
public schools afforded to the youth of his age, with an 
addition of three terms of three months each spent at 
Washington Hall, Trappe. He commenced teaching 
school November 3, 1856, and taught twelve consecu- 
tive terms. He has spent the balance of his life as 
farmer and clerk respectively. He was married to 
Mary A. Isett, January 3, 1863. Three surviving 
children blessed this union, — Ida Emma, J. I. Lin wood, 
and Paul I. 

John Y. Eisenberg was converted to God and bap- 
tized and received as member of the Brethren Church 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 43 

August, 1858, at Mingo, known as the Indian Creek 
Churcli, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He moved 
to Chester County, Pennsylvania, March 31, 1863, and 
transferred his membership to the Coventry Church. 
He was elected deacon May 25, 1872, and was elected to 
the ministry August, 1880. He labored for the Coven- 
try Church at Harmonyville, Parkerford, and Coven- 
try, and also filled appointments, by request, at Mingo, 
Germantown, Norristown, Upper Dublin, and at Poy- 
ersford mission. 

Since April 1, 1893, he has been identified with a 
mission at Royersford, giving most of his ministerial 
labor to said mission. 

AS TO THE NAME, 

DURING THE EARLY AGE OF THE CHURCH, DURING ITS MIDDLE 
AGE, AND DURING THE MODERN AGE. 

The three historic churches of the Brethren denomi- 
nation are the Germantown Church, founded Decem- 
ber 25, 1723 ; the Coventry Church, founded November 
7, 1724 ; and the Ephrata Church, Lancaster County, 
founded November 12, 1724 ; all within less than one 
year of each other. No other churches of any im- 
portance were founded then for some years ; not until 
several years after the arrival from Europe in 1729 of 
the second colony of Brethren of thirty families with 
Alexander Mack. 

For the early history of the Coventry Church we 
are indebted to the intimate relation that existed be- 
tween its first preachers and the preachers of neighbor- 
ing churches ; all records that may have been kept by 
the church being subsequently lost. Morgan Edwards, 
of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia, and the 



44 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

" Chronicon Ephratense" of the Ephrata Church have 
preserved its history for us. Subsequently, no records 
being kept, the church went into eclipse for years, and 
when it emerged some of the members had so completely 
lost all knowledge of its history that they did not even 
know its name, and when they wished to speak of it they 
used the name of one of its j^reachers. Abroad, every- 
where it continued to be known by its real name. At 
times some Brethren thought it wrong to keep church 
records. But that is changed. The world moves, and 
the Coventry Church moves too, as does the great 
Brethren denomination. 

Recently the president of the most prominent of the 
Brethren colleges has written to the authorities of the 
Coventry Church for information about Martin Urner, 
the founder of the church, and for items in its history. 
He is preparing a history of the early churches and 
the denomination. 

Quite recently, too, an organization has been formed 
for gathering and preserving material for an extensive 
history of the various churches and of the denomi- 
nation at large. Among the officers of this organiza- 
tion, Abraham H. Cassel, of Harleysville, has been 
made president, a prominent preacher of Virginia is 
vice-president, a rising preacher of our neighborhood 
is secretary, and a Philadelphia preacher is treasurer. 

The Brethren denomination has become numerous, 
wealthy, and progressive, and its one hundred thousand 
members will exert immense influence on this nation 
and on the w^orld. There w^as a time when some of the 
Brethren discouraged education, especially of the higher 
kind. Now they have eight or ten colleges in as many 
different States. 

As is thus perceived, the church has been known in 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 45 

the j)ast and is now known everywhere, except by some 
in the immediate surrounding neighborhood, as the 
Coventry Church, or, more specifically, as the Coventry 
Brethren Church. Morgan Edwards, in his ^' Materials 
toward a History of the American Baptists," w^ho wrote 
in 1770, knew the church by that name, and knew it 
by no other name, because it had no other name. 
Abraham H. Cassel, of Harleysville, Montgomery 
County, the recognized historian of the Brethren 
Church, knows it by no other name ; see, for example, 
on page 19, preceding, '^ A Short Sketch of the Cov- 
entry Brethren Church." The late Isaac Price, in his 
frequent visits to the Parkerford (then Lawrenceville) 
Brethren Church, in referring to the Coventry Church, 
always spoke of it as the Coventry Church, or " Coven- 
try Meeting." 

It is not uncommon for churches in their home lo- 
calities to be spoken of for temporary convenience by 
the name of the preacher then in charge. Some twenty- 
five or thirty years ago Emanuel Lutheran Church of 
Pottstown was frequently spoken of and written about 
in the local newspapers as Kepner's Church, the name 
of the preacher in charge at that time ; the Church of 
the Transfiguration was then Koerner's Church, after 
its pastor at that time ; and Trinity Reformed Church 
Evan's Church. But that is changed now. Pottstown 
has got to know her churches by their own names, and 
not by the names of their preachers. 

While churches may temporarily be known by the 
name of the preacher, when he leaves, the church re- 
sumes its own name. To this common, usual course 
there are, however, occasional, rare exceptions in strug- 
gling country churches. Some one man, or several it 
may be, who thinks keeping a family name fastened on 



46 COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 

the church will be a sort of patent of nobility, com- 
mences a fight to force the poor church to retain the 
family name as its permanent name. The two principal 
means employed are, first, to keep the coveted name 
before the public through the local newspapers on all 
possible occasions, and, secondly, utilizing, through the 
supervisor if possible, the road-pointer boards at all 
cross-roads leading towards the church. 

But suppose there are two names. Originally and 
for long years this church was known everywhere as the 
Coventry Church. Abroad everywhere still it is known 
by that name. At home some know it by the name of 
^^ Price's Meeting." Which name should be adopted ? 
The rule always is to take the first or original name, 
unless there is some special reason to the contrary. 
a Priority is the fundamental law of nomenclature." 
This rule is of common application. It prevails in 
historical works, in treatises on the sciences, and else- 
where generally. 

Generally the name adopted or fastened upon a 
church does not matter much. Sometimes it is of 
much importance. That is the case with the Coventry 
Church, because this church is one of the three origi- 
nal historic churches of the Brethren denomination 
in America. Excepting possibly the Germantown 
Church, it is historically the most important of all the 
Brethren churches. To allow any other name than its 
historical name to be fastened upon it is to blot out its 
history. ^' He who ignores his past gives up his fu- 
ture." This principle applies to churches as well as to 
nations and individuals. Many years ago Peter Keyser 
was a prominent preacher of the Germantown Church. 
Suppose the members of that church were to call it 
Keyser 's Church, as probably they sometimes did while 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 



47 



lie was preacher, ignoring the real name of the church 
and its history and its early organizers and upholders, 
Peter Becker, Alexander Mack, and others, would not 
the world be justified in thinking that they, the Ger- 
mantown Brethren, who ignore their past, their early 
history, are giving up their future ? that they do not 
deserve to have a future ? 

LIST OF MEMBERS. 

List of members in 1890 of the Coventry Brethren 
Church and of its two sister churches, the Parkerford 
Brethren Church and the Harmonyville Brethren 
Church. The list is a copy of the one placed in the 
corner-stone, when the third church building was 
erected in 1890. 



Adlington, Frances. 


Brower Isaac U. 


Amole, Ann. 


Lizzie. 


Hiram. 


Mary A. 


Ayres, Ida. 


Sallie. 




William, M.D. 


Baily, Annie. 


Brown, Frank. 


Bealer, Sarah. 


Maria. 


Bennets, Willie. 


Brownback, Annie 


Bergy. David. 


Clinton. 


Elma. 


Mary. 


Milton. 


Stephen. 


Susan. 


Buck waiter, Ella. 


Bowers, Elmira. 


John. 


Brannon, Keziah. 


Burns, Aaron. 


Newton. 


Lizzie. 


Brewer, Mary. 




Thomas. 


Conner, Elmer. 


Brower, Ailnie. 


Jacob. 


Blanch. 


Laura. 


Charles J. 


Sarah E. 


Gilbert. 


Susie E. 



48 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 



Creasinger, Mary. 


Frederick, Lizzie. 




Fregh, Frederick. 


Davis, Benjamin. 


Lydia. 


Emma. 


Frick, Albert. 


Do Hai-t, William. 


Annie. 


Detwiler, Annie. 


Charles. 


Dismant, Emma. 


Elmira. 


Lizzie. 


Ethel. 


Dyer, Ada. 


John. 




Lydia. 


Ebert, Annie. 


Marj^. 


Joel. 


Myra. 


Lizzie. 


Frock, Irene. 


Ecker, Hettie. 


Eosie. 


Jacob. 




Lydia. 


Greyer, Jacob. 


Eisenberg, Ella S. 


Grrubb, Henry. 


John Y. 


Ida. 


Lottie. 


Kate. 


Mary A. 


Mary A. 


William T. 


Gruest, James. 


Ellis, Albert. 




Angeline. 


Haldeman, David. 


Emaline. 


Mrs. 


George. 


Hannah. 


John. 


Eebecca. 


Emery, Harvy. 


Sallie. 


Ergood, Jacob. 


Halderman, Hannah 


Mary. 


John. 


Essick, Lydia. 


Harley, Emma. 


Evans, Elizabeth. 


John. 


Exmoyer, Sally. 


Leah. 




Mary. 


Fisher, John. 


Eebecca. 


Mary. 


Eudolph. 


Frederick, Benjamin. 


Eudolph, Jr. 


Elizabeth. 


William. 


Emily. 


William E. 


Emma. 


Hause, Elizabeth. 


IdaE. 


Hensey, Charles. 


Kate. 


Ella. 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 



49 



Hetric, Flora L. 

Ida. 

Jesse P. 
High, Lizzie. 

Martha. 
Hitner, Christopher. 

Mary. 
Hoffman, Catharine. 

Mary. 

[N'athan. 
Huey, James. 

Josie. 



Irwin, Percy. 
Isett, Ettie L. 



Johnson, Ada. 
Andrew. 
Hannah. 
Joseph. 

Keeler, Elizabeth. 

William. 
Keeley, Annie. 
Keim, Annie. 

Asenath. 

Barnie. 

Catharine. 

Daniel, Mrs. 

David. 

George. 

Harry. 

Henry. 

Hiram. 

Jonathan H. 

Josiah. 

Kate. 

Lizzie. 

Maggie. 



Keim, Margaret. 

Sally. 

William. 
Keiter, Aaron. 

Hannah. 

Mary. 
Kendall, Elizabeth. 
King, Annie. 
Ki'ause, Samuel. 
Kulp, Aaron. 

Annie. 

Belle E. 

Byzara. 

David H. 

Elizabeth. 

Ella. 

Emily. 

John E. 

Kitty. 

]^aomi. 

Samuel. 

William H. 

Lachman, Mary. 
Latshaw, Horace. 
Leopold, Annie. 

Jonas. 

Sarah. 
Ligget, Alice. 
Lloyd, Charles. 

McCully, Maurice. 
McKissick, Morris. 
Martin, Jennie. 

Mary. 
Massee, Bayerd 
Metz, Eebecca. 
Miller, Maggie. 
Missimer, Deborah. 
Mock, Annie. 
Moore, Mary. 



50 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 



Orlli]), Isaac. 
Susan. 

Patterson, Hannah. 
Penn3q)acker, Harriet S. 

Henry S. 

J. Stauffer. 

Kate. 
Perkins, Joshua. 
Pirches, Rachael. 
Price, Catharine D. 

Elizabeth D. 

Elmira. 

Lizzie. 
Prim, James. 

Eader, Sophia. 
Reagan, Mary. 
Reiff, Ada. 

Clementine B. 

John B., Sr. 

John B., Jr. 
Reifsnyder, Emma. 

Hannah. 
Reinhart, Annie. 

Lavinia. 
Reynolds, Bessie. 

Ettie. 

John. 

Lizzie. 

William. 
Rhoades, George. 

Henry. 

Joseph. 

Mary. 
Richards, Llewellyn. 
Roberts, Ann. 
Root, Kate. 
Rosen, Isaac. 

Jane. 

Mary. 



Rosen, Mary A. 

Samuel. 

Sue. 
Rothtrock, Ann. 

John. 

Maty. 
Roger, Annie. 

John. 

Saylor, Katie. 

Lizzie. 
Savage, Amelia. 
Schlipf, Mamie. 
Seidel, Susan. 
Shafer, Hettie. 

Mrs. 
Shantz, Katie. 
Shileigh, Ameriah. 
Showalter, Emma. 
Sprague, James. 

Jessie. 
Squibb, Samuel. 
Stackhouse, Elizabeth. 
Stafford, William. 
Stager, Alice. 

Jacob. 

Jacob, Mrs. 
Stamm, Carrie. 

Hattie. 
Stauffer, Abraham M. 

Clara. 

Henr3\ 

Henry P. 

Jennie. 

John. 

John, Mrs. 

M. Emma. 

Martha. 

Rebecca. 

Rebecca E. 
Steinmetz, Jennie. 



COVENTRY BRETHREN CHURCH. 



51 



Steiiimetz, Mary. 
Stern, Elizabeth. 

Katie. 

Nathan. 

Thomas. 
Stoneback, Ann. 
Stubblebine, Henry. 

Mary. 

Taylor, Samuel. 
Titlow, Sue. 
Towers, Annie. 
Trego, Hattie M. 
Turner, Alice. 

James. 

William. 
Tyson, Emma. 

Henry. 

Katie. 

Mary. 

Umsted, Katie. 

Urner, Charles. 

Sarah. 



Yanderslice, Elwood. 
Mary Jane. 

Walter, George. 
Wanger, Ada. 

Bertha. 

Emma. 
Wells, Annie. 

David. 

David G. 

Elmira. 

Katie. 

Keziah, Sr. 

Keziah, Jr. 

Lewis S. 

Oliver. 
Wick, Ella. 
Williams, Joseph. 
Wilson, Lillian. 
Wismer, Flora. 

Katie. 

Winfield. 

Yocum, Sarah. 
Susan. 









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